Tips for Carrying Clothes for Spiti Valley Trip

Every day on my blog or social media accounts, I get a lot of questions like “What should I wear in Spiti Valley?” or “What clothes I should carry for Spiti Valley trip?” or “What should I pack for my Spiti Valley trip?”. These are very genuine questions and one should always think about carrying clothes for a Spiti trip.

In today’s article, I will try to enlist some important tips which will help you pack your Clothes for Spiti Valley, especially in the start of the season (March to May) and end of the season (September to November).

Shoulder Season for Spiti Valley

In general, the season for Spiti Valley opens up in summers when roads from Manali to Kaza opens up in May end or early June. So, mostly light woolens and summer clothing work in Spiti Valley during season time. However, the road to Spiti Valley from Shimla – Kinnaur side remains open all around the year.

Hence, people even travel in early season March to May and also the end of season September to mid-November. Both these travel windows to Spiti Valley have some winter-like cold conditions. Hence, you should be prepared with proper clothing when visiting Spiti Valley in early or end of season. Many adventurists also travel in the winter months from December to February as well.

I specifically want to target the shoulder season months because people living in the plains tend to forget that you may have to face winter like cold conditions up there in Spiti Valley even in March to May or September to November.

Hence, you should be prepared with proper clothing when visiting Spiti Valley in these shoulder months of the season when the cold conditions are either about to settle in or they are about to fade away.

June, July and August are considered to be pleasant weatherwise and light woolens mostly do the job for you in these months. In the winter months, when Manali to Kaza road is closed due to heavy snowfall at Rohtang Pass and Kunzum Pass then the conditions are extremely cold in Spiti. In such winter months, heavy woolens are required to survive.

We can talk separately in some other article for preparing yourself for winter Spiti Valley tour. Hence, the tricky windows are March to May and September to November. So, in this article, I will mainly focus on clothes to wear in Spiti Valley in these months.

Packing clothes for Spiti trip

Things to Know for Carrying Clothes on Spiti Valley Trip

The basic thing for making your Spiti Valley trip a successful one and learning on how to prepare for Spiti Valley trip is that, at any cost, you MUST KEEP yourself warm enough always with proper woolen clothing and always wear shoes all the time with socks.

This helps you keep yourself warm and reduces the chances of getting hit by Acute Mountain Sickness or cold. You must always protect your chest from the cold winds all the time. When the cold is severe it is also important to protect the neck portion as well using full Balaclava, maybe.

You should always carry your own water bottle and refill it as many times as you need water. It will not only keep you hydrated always, but you will also help in saving the Himalayas from plastic garbage. Remember, every tiny step counts and you can help save the Himalayas too !! 🙂 🙂

The second thing on clothes to wear in Spiti Valley is that you must carry clothes which can be worn in layers because it helps you adjust to the fluctuating temperatures in sun and shades, up there in Spiti Valley.

Yes, in these start and end season months of Spiti Valley travel, when the sun is shining then everything appears good and suddenly you enter a shaded portion with the wind blowing, that is cold enough to have a jacket 🙂 …

Hence, take due care about it and avoid letting the cold flow inside the body in such cases as well. Keeping such factors in mind, I will recommend below general list of clothes to carry on a Spiti Valley trip.

What should I wear in Spiti Valley?

A fleece jacket or windcheater jacket or windproof jacket to prevent the winds (must have)

Good insulated boots or trekking shoes in winters. In summers, any sports shoes should be fine.

Woolen socks 2-3 pairs

Heavy woolens 2-3 sets – Sweatshirts, pullovers, warm hoodies

Comfortable trekking / traveling pants or trousers. Better to be warm in winters or carry a couple of jeans (my favorite)

A heavy woolen wind-proof jacket or parka is always handy throughout the year as a contingency too if weather changes even in summer months

Carry at least 1-2 caps to protect yourself from direct sunlight as it is too harsh in this region to protect yourself from UV rays. Kids especially should wear caps or hats all the time when out there in sun.

Carry at least 1 Balaclava or monkey cap, especially in winter months

Sunglasses to protect your eyes from the reflections from snow

An extra pair of shoes/gumboots in case people are on bikes and are expecting a lot of water crossings,

Important Tip: Especially, in the month of September and October, the UV rays are harshest and you must protect your skin using Hats / Caps and good high SPF sunscreen lotions.

This list of clothes and equipment will answer your question in general. However, the list is mainly focused on shoulder months and suits for all other months too. However, for an appropriate month by month reference of what to carry, you can refer to the FAQs section below.

In the end, it is always nice to take some candies, chocolates, books, pens, pencils, crayons etc. anything that you can distribute among the local children of Spiti. Nothing but the smile on their face would be too much worth it.

Pack right clothes for your Spiti trip?

FAQs – Spiti Valley Packing

Let us look at some of the most common questions asked about packing things for a Spiti Valley trip.

What should I pack for Spiti Valley trip?

Packing for Spiti trip depends mainly on the month you are traveling to Spiti Valley. I have already detailed out the list of clothing you can carry on a Spiti Valley trip in above sections of the article which also contains the link to remaining list of important things to pack for Spiti Valley trip.

How to prepare for Spiti Valley trip?

Preparing for Spiti Valley trip requires planning, patience and reading some good articles on Devil On Wheels blog. This article helps you with what clothes should you pack for a Spiti Valley trip. You can also refer Spiti Valley main menu on this website for all the answers you need to prepare for a successful Spiti Valley trip.

What clothes to wear in Spiti Valley in January?

January is a winter month, hence, you must carry heavy woolens for a Spiti Valley trip in January. Among the list mentioned in this article, the must-have clothing items to carry to Spiti Valley in January are listed as

February is also a winter month, hence, you must carry heavy woolens for a Spiti Valley trip in February. Among the list mentioned in this article, the must-have clothing items to carry to Spiti Valley in February are listed as

heavy woolen jacket or parka (windproof),

balaclava or monkey cap,

inner thermals,

fleece jacket,

heavy woolen clothing,

woolen socks,

warm insulated shoes or trekking boots,

warm hand gloves and,

sun glasses

What clothes to wear in Spiti Valley in March?

March is also considered to be a winter month but snow clearance begins on Manali Kaza road and Kaza to Kunzum Pass road. Hence, you must carry heavy woolens for a Spiti Valley trip in March. Among the list mentioned in this article, the must-have clothing items to carry to Spiti Valley in March are listed as

heavy woolen jacket or parka (windproof),

balaclava or monkey cap,

inner thermals,

fleece jacket,

heavy woolen clothing,

woolen socks,

warm insulated shoes or trekking boots,

warm hand gloves and,

sun glasses

What clothes to wear in Spiti Valley in April?

April is also considered to be a winter month in Spiti Valley even though the snow clearance operations are in full swing on Manali Kaza road and Kinnaur Valley has pleasant weather. Wearing clothes in layers starts becoming important in April. The high villages of Langza, Hikkim, Komic starts getting more accessible along with Pin Valley. Hence, you must carry heavy woolens with layers of light woolens for a Spiti Valley trip in April. Among the list mentioned in this article, the must-have clothing items to carry to Spiti Valley in April are listed as

heavy woolen jacket or parka (windproof),

woolen cap,

inner thermals,

fleece jacket,

heavy woolen clothing,

regular clothing,

woolen socks,

warm insulated shoes or trekking boots and,

sun glasses

What clothes to wear in Spiti Valley in May?

May is a when the weather really starts to change in Spiti Valley and temperature begins to rise. The road from Kaza to Kunzum Pass to Manali remains closed almost upto May end. The road to Pin Valley starts to get open up along with other high altitude villages. Beyond Schichiling towards Kaza, temperatures are still low. So, you must carry mix of light and heavy woolens for a Spiti Valley trip in May as well. Among the list mentioned in this article, the must-have clothing items to carry to Spiti Valley in May are listed as

fleece jacket or light woolen jacket (windproof),

woolen cap,

inner thermals,

light woolen clothing,

woolen socks,

regular sport shoes or hiking boots and,

sun glasses

heavy woolen jacket or parka only for contingency

What clothes to wear in Spiti Valley in June?

June is when summer finally arrives in Spiti Valley. The Kaza to Manali road opens up as snow is cleared from Rohtang Pass and Kunzum Pass. The tourists begin to flow into Spiti Valley. Now, you need to make a balance of woolen clothes. Hence, you must carry a mix of light and heavy woolens for a Spiti Valley trip in June. Among the list mentioned in this article, the must-have clothing items to carry to Spiti Valley in June are listed as

fleece jacket or light woolen jacket (windproof),

woolen cap and regular cap or hat,

inner thermals,

light woolen clothing,

woolen socks,

regular sport shoes or hiking boots,

gum boots for bike riders,

sun glasses and,

heavy woolen jacket or parka only for contingency

What clothes to wear in Spiti Valley in July?

July is when it becomes pretty pleasant in Spiti Valley mostly but overcast conditions can make you cold too. Hence, light woolens are still necessary. Among the list mentioned in this article, the must-have clothing items to carry to Spiti Valley in July are listed as

fleece jacket or light woolen jacket (windproof),

regular cap or hat,

light woolen clothing,

regular socks,

regular sport shoes or hiking boots,

gum boots for bike riders and,

sun glasses

What clothes to wear in Spiti Valley in August?

August mostly gets rains in Northern India but Spiti Valley is a rain shadow region. In general, it remains pretty pleasant mostly but overcast conditions can make you cold in August too. Hence, light woolens are still necessary. Among the list mentioned in this article, the must-have clothing items to carry to Spiti Valley in July are listed as

fleece jacket or light woolen jacket (windproof),

regular cap or hat,

light woolen clothing,

regular socks,

regular sport shoes or hiking boots,

gum boots for bike riders and,

sun glasses

What clothes to wear in Spiti Valley in September?

September is the month when the cold starts to set in Spiti Valley and winter-like conditions begin to prevail in monrning and evenings. Snow is mostly gone but high altitude places like Kunzum Pass, Chandratal Lake, Langza, Komic, Hikkim, etc.. are pretty cold in morning and evenings. Not to forget September 2018 when a snowstorm caused lots of casualties. Hence, you must be very prepared with clothing starting September up to May. Among the list mentioned in this article, the must-have clothing items to carry to Spiti Valley in September are listed as

fleece jacket or light woolen jacket (windproof),

woolen cap and regular cap or hat,

light woolen clothing,

regular socks,

regular sport shoes or hiking boots,

gum boots for bike riders,

sun glasses and,

heavy woolen jacket or parka only for contingency

What clothes to wear in Spiti Valley in October?

Come October, winter-like conditions further grasps the entire Spiti Valley and snowfall starts getting common. Now, you need to make a balance of woolen clothes. Hence, you must carry a mix of light and heavy woolens for a Spiti Valley trip in October. Among the list mentioned in this article, the must-have clothing items to carry to Spiti Valley in October are listed as

fleece jacket or light woolen jacket (windproof),

woolen cap and regular cap or hat,

inner thermals,

light woolen clothing,

woolen socks,

regular sport shoes or hiking boots,

sun glasses and,

heavy woolen jacket or parka only for contingency

What clothes to wear in Spiti Valley in November?

November is a winter month, hence, you must carry heavy woolens for a Spiti Valley trip in November. The road from Manali to Kaza over Kunzum Pass is not recommended to travel anymore even if it is open. Among the list mentioned in this article, the must-have clothing items to carry to Spiti Valley in November are listed as

heavy woolen jacket or parka (windproof),

woolen cap or balaclava or monkey cap,

inner thermals,

fleece jacket,

heavy woolen clothing,

woolen socks,

warm insulated shoes or trekking boots and,

sun glasses

What clothes to wear in Spiti Valley in December?

December is a winter month, hence, you must carry heavy woolens for a Spiti Valley trip in December. Manali – Kunzum Pass – Kaza road gets closed. Among the list mentioned in this article, the must-have clothing items to carry to Spiti Valley in December are listed as

heavy woolen jacket or parka (windproof),

balaclava or monkey cap,

inner thermals,

fleece jacket,

heavy woolen clothing,

woolen socks,

warm insulated shoes or trekking boots,

warm hand gloves and,

sun glasses

What things you should carry on a Spiti trip?

Conclusion

I hope these travel tips help you prepare yourself with a right list of clothing items to carry on a Spiti Valley trip. Now, you know the secrets of how to pack your clothes especially when you are traveling to Spiti Valley, especially in the shoulder season months.

Have a travel question?? You can follow me on Instagram and ask your travel questions in a direct message on Instagram too. I also conduct a weekly Q&A session every Saturday evening on Instagram, so see you there.

If you know your friends or family are planning a trip to Spiti, do share this article with them to help them make a memorable trip.

Also, feel free to share your thoughts or tips or any other suggestions you might have to help other fellow travelers in the comments section of this article.

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About Author

You can call me an avid traveler, a day-night dreamer and a passionate lover of the Himalayas who has a high zest for driving whilst exploring new places in the Himalayas & sharing back those Himalayan travel experiences with the other fellow travelers... I am in love with Spreading Smiles in Himalayas through DoW Causes & currently enjoying life as Happy Traveling Soul at DoW Community. You can read more about me in detail at the link here ...

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Are you looking for the CUSTOMIZED TOURS?? Get in touch with our our handpicked & trusted Destination Specialists from the Himalayas who offer SPECIAL DISCOUNTED RATES to all the readers/followers of the Devil On Wheels website.